The 2022 Mazda6 Could be RWD, Feature Straight-Six Engine

That’s YUUUGE news for Mazda’s sleek sedan

While Mazda broke a lot of hearts when it decided and announced that it won’t develop a Mazdaspeed6 based on the outgoing Mazda6, recent talk about a driving dynamics-oriented new-generation Mazda6 has got our blood pumping.

A new report talks about a hefty shift in paradigm for the Mazda 6, including rear-wheel-drive, a mild-hybrid powertrain, and a longitudinal engine layout.

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If this info is accurate, the Mazda6 will be an out-and-out driver’s car

The 6, just like the 3, have seen a spectacular improvement over the years as Mazda has focused on climbing the ladder to a more upmarket area. The rise of Mazda has seen a lot of improvements inside and outside the cabin of its cars, as well as under the hood, after the divorce with FoMoCo.

According to Car and Driver, though, the new Mazda6 is slated to debut in 2022 with a German twist, in the sense that the mid-size sedan is en route to receiving “a longitudinal-engine platform with rear-wheel drive and an inline-six.” Well, how about that?

The same outlet goes on to say that the new 6 will get Mazda’s Skyactiv-X gasoline engine, albeit in an electrified flavor thanks to a 48-volt hybrid setup à la Mercedes-Benz.

What’s more, in implementing the technology, Mazda might ask for a helping hand from Toyota, which will want to use the hybridized Skyactiv-X inside the likes of Lexus IS and RC.

Obviously, Mazda hasn’t released any official info to support or deny these rumors, but hear this out: Car and Driver believe the new hybrid powertrain might churn out in the region of 350 horsepower and, for what it’s worth, it could also power a two-door, coupé version of the new Mazda6.

Look at it from any angle you wish, but this is exciting news. Couple that with the fact that the new 6 will take a lot after the sleek 2017 Mazda Vision Coupe shown in Tokyo and you’ve got the recipe for a well-rounded car that’s, at least on paper, able to tick all the boxes on a customer’s shopping list.

However, it’s also interesting to see how Mazda manages to offer a cabin that’s roomier or at least on par with the 6’s rivals, as well as same levels of storage space - as we know very well that Mazdas are generally behind their counterparts in the practicality department specifically due to the attractive body kits they flaunt.

Tudor’s first encounter with cars took place when he was only a child. Back then, his father brought home a Trabant 601 Kombi and a few years later, a Wartburg 353. At that time, he was too young to know how they worked and way too young to drive them, but he could see one thing – each of them had a different ethos and their own unique personality. As time went on, he started seeing that in other cars as well, and his love for the automobile was born.
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